


My Final Offer

by Oreobunny1



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: "sUnSeT CUrVe", Alex Mercer/Anxiety, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Brain: hUrT ThEm, Brain: you gotta, Caleb Sucks, Canonical Character Death, Emotional Manipulation, Found Family, Friendship, Hurt Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms), Hurt/Comfort, Me: I love these kids so much, Me: Why, No Smut, Not really a romance fic, Oop I lied there IS a relationship, Physical Abuse, Pretty much everyone is protective except Caleb, Protective Julie - Freeform, Protective Luke, Reggie Peters Has Bad Parents (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie Peters-centric (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie needs a hug, Self-Sacrifice, These poor kids have PTSD and should see a Ghost Therapist, Willie is amazing and I love him, no beta we die like Sunset Swerve, protective Alex, protective reggie, so do the rest of them, this close to calling the Ghostbusters on Caleb Covington
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:22:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28544001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oreobunny1/pseuds/Oreobunny1
Summary: AU where Caleb gets bored of using Nick as a puppet and decides to strike the band where it will hurt them the worst. This is his Final Offer, and if they do not submit this time they will be sorry.Besides, even if his plan doesn't work out, he will still have a brand new Bassist in the end.(That’s right folks. Reggie, I am so sorry.)
Comments: 54
Kudos: 95





	1. Now or Never

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! So... I’m completely obsessed with Julie and the Phantoms. That means it’s time to write an extremely angsty fanfiction that involves hurting ALL of my favorite characters!! Btw I don’t own any of these wonderful characters, they all belong to Netflix and the creators! Comments are GREATLY encouraged and appreciated!!! Hope y'all enjoy!
> 
> The first chapter is from Caleb’s POV(NOT a redemption fic, this will only make you hate him more)

Nothing was working out for Caleb Covington. 

“UGHHH!” he groaned, slamming his head against his desk in defeat. It was just him and his stupid guard in this gloomy office. As the sun slipped under the horizon outside his Hollywood Ghost Club, Caleb sat and pondered. Random papers and sticky notes haphazardly covered his desk, but even _with_ all that he was no closer to getting _his_ band!

It had been months since the Orpheum performance. _Months_ since those little rats had escaped his clutches and ran away with their _girlfriend_. The memory made anger boil inside of him, but he had moved on! His possession of Nick was an amazing, diabolical plan that he thought would put Julie and the rest of them under his control. 

But the plan was flawed. Possession turned out to be exhausting and painful, and was ultimately ineffective. He left mere days after he arrived, and accomplished absolutely _nothing_! The boy was fine of course, he knew nothing of what happened, but that didn’t matter. All that mattered was him coming up with a new plan. Caleb had been trying for weeks, experimenting with new stamps and coming up with ideas, but none of them would ever work. The-

“ _Hmm hm hmmm hmm hmmm_ ,” William, his “guard” at the time, was humming from across the room. Caleb rolled his eyes.

Anyway, Alex, Luke, and Reggie had avoided his club like the plague since the Orpheum. If he had to interfere with his teleportation magic again he would, but right now he had no way of controlling them, of keeping them all in one place. If he could only-

“ _Hm hm hm hm hmm hm hm._ ” Caleb’s head snapped up. The boy seemed to be unaware that he was making noise, for he was usually terrified of him. Rightly so. Caleb focused his energy and grabbed a stapler, preparing to chuck it at him to shut him up, but then he paused. 

He had heard that song before. The one William had stuck in his head. It was not a very old song, and he assumed it was still popular if the kids were singing it. It was called… Let Them Go? Let Her Go? He didn't really know the title, but he distinctly remembered the lyrics.

_You only need the light when it's burning low,_

_Only miss the sun when it starts to snow,_

_Only know you love her when you let her go…_

As the lyrics echoed in his head, Caleb got an idea. A terrible idea. An awful idea. 

He was absolutely _thrilled._

“Out.” Caleb ordered suddenly. William jumped about a foot in the air and stared at him wildly, like he’d lost his mind. “Get out! _Now!_ You’re dismissed for the rest of the night I guess!”

The boy looked confused, but excitement flashed across his face as the information got through his thick skull.

“T-thank you sir- sir!” he stammered, frantically making his way to the door. 

Caleb sighed in annoyance. “Just _teleport_ you idiot!” he spat. William stood there looking scared for a second longer before vanishing, probably to a certain garage to hang out with his _friends_. 

Caleb didn't care about that now. That was actually the exact reason he wanted him _out_ of his office. You see, young William was one of the few ghosts who could negatively impact the plan that was taking shape in his mind. And he couldn’t have that.

Reaching across his desk, Caleb found what he was looking for. He picked up an old-fashioned phone and held it to his ear.

“Victoria.” He said into the phone, twirling the cord around his finger.

There was a shuffle before the head of his house staff picked up the phone.“Yeah boss?” 

“Prepare a dressing room,” Caleb muttered, resisting the urge to laugh wildly. “We are about to have a guest.”

“Sure thing!” She responded happily. 

He was so _excited!!_ It was now or never to start putting his new plan into action, and he couldn’t wait to try out a new stamp! Putting down the phone, Caleb searched his drawings until he found a very specific design he had been working on. Now he was certain that separation was more painful than _anything_ he could do to them, but _where’s the fun in that?_ He would hurt them _so much_ , as much as he needed to. _No_ , as much as he _wanted_ to until they did what he said. Caleb knew that his Club was the only place for them, and if _pain_ was the only way to make them see that then so be it.

_Just wait. They will thank me. Eventually. It may take thousands of years, but they will be grateful._

He had finally figured out his issue. He spent all that time trying to figure out how to get all three of the boys under his control at the same time, when really it was _much_ simpler than that! If he could just get one of them to join, the others would certainly follow, _especially_ if the safety of one of their members was on the line. And Caleb even knew _exactly_ which band member he had to take: the _least_ important one. The bass guitar was not a vital instrument. Any other band could go on without a bassist, but he had a sneaking suspicion that “ _Sunset Curve”_ couldn’t. 

Their bassist was the backbone, but not of their band. _Their bassist_ was an idiot. He was dumb. He was _gullible_. He was sensitive. They would do _anything_ to get him back. 

But he would make sure that even _Julie_ wouldn’t be able to save the youngest member of their band this time.

 _“Only miss the sun when it starts to snow,”_ Caleb sang softly, a malicious grin stretching over his face. 

_Get ready boys. I hope you enjoy your sunshine while you still have it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eww. 
> 
> I hate him so much, but I had to write this trash. For the good of the plot. I promise that the other chapters will be longer and NOT in Caleb’s POV. Hope you have a good week!!


	2. The Other Side of Hollywood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys were so nice about the first chapter!! Thank you so much!!! I guess we’ll jump right in! This one is from Reggie’s POV. Get ready for some pain!
> 
> WARNING! Star Wars spoilers I guess(only if you haven't seen The Last Jedi and The Force Awakens tho)

The sun shone brightly on the roof of the Molina household that morning. Julie and Carlos were at school, and Ray was on his way to work. The house was peaceful and empty. 

Well, all except for the three teenage ghost himbos messing around in their garage.

“All I’m saying is they shouldn’t have killed off Han Solo _and_ Luke Skywalker! It’s just _too_ much.” Reggie exclaimed from the second floor of the huge garage, bouncing around as he got dressed for the day.

“I _know_ ,” Alex answered from beneath him. “And why was Luke on _fat bird_ island anyway, shouldn’t he be doing more, y’know… _Jediy_ things?”

“ _Pfffft-”_ Reggie laughed, “ _Fat bird_ island. _Honestly_ though! He-” 

His rant was interrupted by Luke banging on the garage door from outside. 

“You guys are SLOW! Sloooooooowwwwwwww-” Luke whined. Reggie didn’t need to see Alex to know that he was rolling his eyes at their friend. Luke couldn't even talk. He had only teleported out there a second ago himself!

“We’ll be out in a minute!” Reggie yelled out to him. It wasn’t like they could be late. They didn’t even have tickets!

“ImPATIENT!” Alex gasped, mock-offended. Reggie snickered, and they heard muffled laughter from outside too, followed by Luke starting another round of “ _slooow..._ ”.

Alex sighed and muttered, “If only _our_ Luke was the one on that island, huh?” Reggie was just about _dying_ of laughter at this point, but he tried to be as quiet as he could so _their_ Luke couldn’t hear them.

Today, the local movie theater was showing a marathon of the new Star Wars trilogy. All of them were big Star Wars fans, and ever since seeing the premiere on the website they had been looking forward to this particular Wednesday. Reggie couldn’t sit still. He was so excited! They had been anticipating this for a week now, and he was looking forward to a fun, geeky day with his best friends. And, to top it all off, _Julie and the Phantoms_ had a _gig_ later that night! It was shaping up to be a pretty great day.

They were all a little bummed Julie couldn't come to the movies with them, but being _alive_ and still having to go to _school_ made her unavailable at the time. It’s fine though, they would be done with the movies before she got out of school anyway. They could all hang out then!

“But Finn and Poe though...” Alex started, moving into Reggie's view as he waited for him.

Reggie pulled on his flannel. “YES I love them already, I honestly can’t wait to watch these movies just because of the _newer_ characters.” He had only heard spoilers for these movies, and he didn’t really like what he heard. But he was optimistic, _especially_ about the new characters Julie had told them about. 

“Okay. I’m ready!” he said finally after grabbing his bracelet, smiling as he prepared to jump down to Alex. “By the wa- _WHAT?!”_

Reggie yelped as he was suddenly pulled harshly away from where he sat on the ledge in the middle of his sentence. There was a bright flash before his eyes as he was unwillingly teleported… _somewhere else._

  
  


His blood froze as another flash dropped him onto hard, cold ground. He didn’t move. He couldn’t see anything! _Did I go blind or something?!_

_Don't panic. Don’t panic. Don’t panic._

The first thing he noticed was the _cold_. He drew his flannel tighter around him, but the frigid air seemed to go directly though it and he started shivering almost immediately. Reggie hadn't thought that, as a ghost, he would be able to feel pain, discomfort, or _cold_. But that was _before_ they were all almost _electrocuted_ out of existence. Yup. He could definitely feel cold.

The second thing he noticed was that he was, indeed, _panicking._

His breath came in short gasps. He didn’t understand what was happening! Where was he? _Why_ was he there? Neither Alex nor Luke had been close enough to touch him and teleport him, besides, they wouldn’t scare him like that! The only person(or ghost) he knew that could teleport people without touching them was _Caleb Covington_. The _last_ person he wanted to see. 

Reggie finally took a slow breath, counting to ten in his mind. That’s what Alex always did. It was fine. They would get out. _We will get out._ He looked at his new surroundings, or rather, tried to look. All he could “see” was darkness. It surrounded him.

“Alex? Luke?” He called, reaching out in the dark. Caleb had only ever teleported them altogether. He was _positive_ that any second now, his hand would land on one of them, proving to him he wasn’t alone. 

“Luke! Alex!”

“Okay s-stop it guys, this isn’t funny!” If they were trying to prank him or something, they were going to be in _so_ much trouble.

“ _Guys_?” Reggie whispered into the darkness. But silence was his only answer. His breathing picked up again. _Where are they? I need them here!_

He needed to find the light switch.

“ _Jeez_ , why is it so _cold_ in h-here?” He thought out loud with chattering teeth as he found the icy wall with his hands. He traced his fingers along it, ignoring the dull pain. The cold made his fingers feel like they were slowly turning to _ice_.

“C’mon, where is it… Oh!” His hand found a switch of some kind and he immediately flipped it up. Light flooded through the small room and Reggie blinked furiously as his eyes adjusted.

“Uhhh...”

The first thing he noticed was that Alex and Luke were _not_ there. He was alone in a musty room. The walls were a faded yellowish color. Cracked frames held declining pictures of…old _Hollywood stars? Oh no..._

There was movement, and Reggie jumped, but it was only his reflection. There was a mirror and a worn wooden desk in one corner of the room. The mirror was old-fashioned, the ones with the large light bulbs around the sides of it. _This is a dressing room._

Or _was_. Cobwebs covered the ceiling and the dusty crystal chandelier. Everything looked breakable, and the makeup on the desk looked like it hadn’t been used since _he_ was alive. _Yikes._ Besides, the temperature in this “dressing room” had to be below freezing, definitely too cold for any alive human to stay in for a long period of time. 

It was confirmed. This room failed the vibe check.

“ _Okaaay_ … Sorry c-creepy room! It’s been fun-” _Not._ He needed to get out of there and find his friends. Reggie picutured their studio in his mind, easily his favorite place and the main place they teleported to, and willed himself to appear there. 

Instead, he ran into a wall.

“Ugh..” Reggie groaned. He was still there! He had only teleported to the other side of the dressing room! _No._ He tried again. _Again_. _This has to work! It has to!_

But he was _trapped._

Before he had time to have a panic attack, there was a sudden _pop_ from behind him. Reggie spun around. _Maybe it’s Luke or Ale-_

It wasn't.

“Good morning Reginald!”

“ _C-Caleb,_ ” Reggie gasped, his worst fears confirmed.

This was the ghost that stalked his nightmares. _This_ was the ghost who had tried to take _everything_ away from him _._ Reggie immediately clutched his wrists. Caleb had never gone so far as _direct_ physical aggression, it was always a _stamp_. _As long as I keep my wrists completely covered, everything will be fine. He can’t hurt any of us if he can’t get a stamp on us._

Luke _promised_ that he would never see him again. On a particularly bad day, when a stamp that was long gone felt like it was _still there_ and the memories of a performance they would _never_ be able to tell Julie about haunted all three of them, he had sworn that they would _never_ go near that club again. That they would never have to face this _villain_ again.

Yet there he was. There was no way Luke could have known. No way they could have prepared for _this._

Caleb smiled his huge fake grin that now sent a shiver down his spine. “Reggie, why aren't you dressed? You have a show in ten minutes!” 

He probably looked so dumb, standing there like a deer in headlights, but he didn't care. There was only one thing on his mind.

“W-where are Luke a-and Alex.” Reggie stammered, his teeth chattering as he tried to speak.

Caleb raised an eyebrow. “Why, in their own dressing rooms of course. They have to get ready too, you know.” 

Reggie gave a small sigh of relief. _At least they aren't being forced to perform._ “We d-don’t want to join your b-band. Let us go.” He wasn’t in the mood for his usual jokes. Not without his friends.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that Reginald.” Caleb replied simply.

 _What do you mean “I can’t do that”?! Of course you can!_ Reggie _definitely_ wasn’t the one that got angry easily. He would much rather just joke around, be the fun one. Be cool in the moment, and deal with the consequences later. But Luke wasn’t there to take charge. Julie and Alex weren’t there, supporting him, bringing him comfort. He didn’t even _know_ where his friends were! All he wanted was for them to be there so they could escape this situation! But he was facing Caleb _alone._ Everything about _this situation_ was scaring him to death. The fear and anger came spilling out of him, and suddenly he was _screaming._

“YES YOU CAN! Caleb, _none_ of us will ever join your band! We already _have_ one! Nothing you _say_ or _do_ will ever change that! Now LET US G-GO!” 

Breathing heavily, Reggie glanced at the man with wide eyes, but his mouth was set in determination. He wasn’t sure how Caleb would react to _that._

He didn’t look scared, as Reggie had silently hoped, or even _surprised_. He didn’t look mad either. He was just staring at him. Studying him, with a small _smile_ on his face, as if he was but a clue to be cracked. An interesting equation to be solved. Reggie took another step backward. _That_ was not what he had been expecting.

“Your costume is over there.” Caleb said happily, pointing at something shiny draped on the clothing rack as he turned and walked away from him. “See you on the stage!” He exclaimed. 

_Is he actually going to ignore everything I just said?_ Reggie opened his mouth defiantly and followed him, _desperate_ to say whatever he needed to to get him and his friends _out_ of this place. But the man kept talking...

“Oh, and I almost forgot-” 

Caleb spun around and slapped him viciously across the face.

Reggie was thrown backward and hit the cold floor, _hard._ He froze in shock, a hand clutched to his cheek as his attacker towered over him. 

He should have anticipated it. He should have at _least_ flinched away when the hand came down on him, but he _didn't_! It had just been so long, _so long_ since someone had hit him like that. So long since he had been in danger of being struck for speaking out of turn. So long since he _didn’t_ have his friends to go to for protection. He had finally lost the reflex.

Sharp pain radiated from where he had been hit, and black spots clouded his vision. His eyes watered as he looked up at Caleb, his entire body trembling. He was _terrified._

“Like my new _stamp_ design? I just finished it!”

 _No,_ Reggie thought, his heart dropping inside his chest. _No, no NO!_

It was _true._ Keeping both eyes on Caleb he moved a shaking hand over his cheek. Sure enough, he could feel the raised outline of a dreaded stamp there. Caleb stalked towards him, his voice growing dangerous as he leaned _closer._ Reggie scrambled backward, trying to keep a few feet between himself and this _monster._

“You will do exactly as I say, _when_ I say it,” Caleb hissed, his smile growing wider. Distorted. _Demented._ “If you ever disrespect me like that _ever_ again, I will show your _friends_ the true meaning of pain. Would you like an _example?”_

Reggie didn’t even have time to answer. Caleb whipped something small and gold out of his suit pocket before clicking it. 

Then Reggie knew only _pain._

“ _Ahh!”_ He cried out, clutching his chest. He thought that nothing would _ever_ be more painful than their final jolts on the night of the Orpheum performance, but _boy,_ was he _wrong_. Reggie keeled over as every part of his body was electrocuted by a massive jolt from the stamp. The burning, _excruciating_ pain lingered in his chest and cheek and tears sprang to his eyes. 

Reggie had always handled physical pain the worst out of all his friends. The tears threatened to fall, just as they had on that fateful night when Julie found them in the garage, but Reggie quickly wiped his eyes. 

He would never give _Caleb_ the satisfaction of seeing him cry. 

Caleb opened his mouth to say something, but instead his eyes fell to something on the ground in front of him. Reggie hesitantly followed his gaze.

 _My_ _bracelet!_

Reggie’s arm shot out, pain ignored as he snatched the little woven thing into his hands. He must have forgotten to put energy into it while he was _reeling in pain._

_I won’t let that happen again._

Last week, after watching the new Mandolorian episode with Julie, they were all _bored._ They followed her upstairs, where she went into her closet and got out this _old case._ She blew off the dust and _inside_ … was a whole bunch of colored string! She patiently showed them how to weave simple bracelets. It was fairly easy. All they had to do was make sure they focused a little bit of energy into their hands, and they could hold the string! They sat there for a good hour, making bracelets and talking quietly. 

As expected, the peace didn’t last long.

All he did was make fun of Alex’s knotted-up “bracelet”. _Once!_ Before Reggie knew it, the various colors of the rainbow came flying at his head. Soon enough it was a free for all. They grabbed the bundles and chucked them at one another. There was string _everywhere._ They had a complete friendship-bracelet string _war,_ laughing wildly as pillows and string flew through the air. At one point, him and Alex tackled Luke to the ground and held him there so Julie could braid string into his hair. In the end, each of them had string tangled in their hair, Julie’s room was absolutely trashed, and they were all _exhausted_. They crashed immediately afterward, covered with string and cuddled up on Julie’s bed.

Also, each of them had 4 or 5 woven bracelets that they made themselves. His were _obviously_ the best, but Julie’s were pretty good too. They traded them around, and now they each had one from everyone else. They even had some for Willie and Flynn! 

The one he picked to wear today was the one Jules made him, and in order for the ghosts to wear them they continually focused a tiny bit of energy to keep it on their wrists. It was so simple that he hardly ever thought about it. 

Until now.

Caleb’s voice yanked him from his thoughts.

 _“Stings more than the worst of the other ones, doesn't it?”_ He gloated as Reggie coughed. If he wasn’t already dead, Reggie was _sure_ he’d be coughing blood into his hands. But Caleb didn’t care. “ _Yes_. And they will only get _more_ painful. Unlike those other stamps, this-”

Caleb bent down and reached for Reggie’s face, but he was _ready_ this time. He flinched so hard that he dodged Caleb’s hand altogether. _Yes!_ The horrendous smile faltered and Reggie thought he just might leave him alone. _Nope._ The rough hand made contact a second time and Reggie’s chin was jerked upward.

“ _This_ will give you only a few more days to live!” The excitement in his voice was sickening.

“Reginald, the only escape from _nonexistence_ is to join _my_ band.” Caleb sobered. He had the _nerve_ to look sympathetic. As if _he_ wasn’t the one doing this to them.

“ _Never.”_ Reggie spat, the fury and _pain_ fueling his confidence once again, if only for a moment. He shoved the hand away and struggled to his feet. There was a flash of something unusual in Caleb’s dark eyes. _Surprise? Fear?_ It was gone as fast as it came. 

If Caleb thought he was just going to _give up_ that quickly, he had another thing coming. As long as his friends were in danger, Reggie Peters would _fight._

“Hm. We’ll see.” He messed with the little gold device in his hands as Reggie sat there, still trying to catch his breath after the jolt, before suddenly barking orders. “Now get up! Get ready. And _keep quiet._ We wouldn't want Luke and Alex feeling like _this_ now would we!”

 _No! Never!_ That was the absolute _last_ thing he wanted. Reggie glared at him, some choice words ready to leave his mouth.

_Click._

Another purple flash and Reggie doubled over, unable to speak. His clenched teeth were the only thing keeping him from screaming in agony. _The bracelet, the bracelet, remember the bracelet!_

_“Would we?”_

“N-no!” He choked out.

“That's better.” The button was slipped back into the pocket, and Caleb turned. _He’s gonna teleport away!_

“Wait!” Reggie blurted. He _couldn't_ let this happen to his friends too. “D-don’t put a stamp on them. Please. Just don’t put a s-stamp on Luke or Alex.” He would do _anything_ if it meant Alex and Luke didn’t have to go through this. They didn’t deserve that. Not that he thought _he did,_ but he would _much_ rather it be him than them. His bandmates, plus Julie now, meant _everything_ to him. He could do _this_ for them. He just hoped it would be enough for _Caleb._

“That’s entirely up to _you.”_ Caleb concluded, not even looking at him. _“_ I hope you will consider my offer.” With a flash he was gone, leaving Reggie _alone_ in the small, _freezing_ room, the threats and orders echoing in his head. Reggie waited before taking a breath. _He’s gone._

_Darn. We're so gonna miss those movies._

Reggie was certain of one thing. He was _not_ going to put on that costume. Caleb could poof him into whatever _atrocious,_ uncomfortable clothes he wanted, and he could pry the red flannel from Reggie’s cold, dead hands(literally).

He looked into the icy mirror at his already swelling face, the bold purple stamp standing out against his pale features. His immediate reaction was to claw at it, get it _off_ his skin, but he knew it wouldn't do any good.

He tried to poof out approximately 7 more times before slumping against the desk, shivering and sore. The ground swayed under his feet, and his head pounded. He just sat down on the freezing ground. Reggie didn’t feel like he could do _anything_ in 10 minutes, _especially_ not be forced to perform. But no matter how much he _hated_ it, he knew he didn’t have a choice.

 _Great._ The tears were back. _No. No crying. Not here._ He shoved all his feelings of dread and fear away. He had to be confident, no matter how fake it was. He could not show weakness to Caleb. In his mind he heard Luke, telling him off for suppressing feelings _again. “That will only make it worse Reg. You know that.”_ He did! But this time it was necessary. His friends could help him deal with the feelings later, once they got out.

He was going to work on an escape plan, he just needed a minute of rest first. He was so _tired_ (yes, ghosts can get tired too). Just... _one_ minute...

Reggie closed his eyes, imagining he was back in the garage, still joking around with his best friends. Pretending he still felt _safe_. Pretending, just for a second, that he was _home._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh how I love misinforming and hurting characters mentally(; The next chapter will be from our favorite drummer’s POV, and we’ll see what the rest of our boys are up to. Have a great week y'all!


	3. Relight that Spark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So at first this was gonna be one REALLY long, dialog-filled chapter, but halfway through writing it I decided to split it into two chapters instead. I love them both. The boys are so fun to write for! Hope you enjoy the first one!
> 
> PS: Canon ships are used, but like I said this is NOT a romance fic. I just decided to sprinkle it in a tiny bit to go with the angst(: 
> 
> PPS: Sorry, I just wanted to let y'all know how much I enjoyed your comments. 95% of them were “Poor Reggie!!'' and I thought it was absolutely hilarious. Thank you<3<3

“Okay. I’m ready!” Reggie’s excited voice rang out from the second floor. _Great!_ Alex thought, smirking to himself. He turned to face the garage door, fully prepared to _poof_ out suddenly and scare the heck out of Luke. 

“By-”

 _Bye?_ Alex glanced up to the loft, confused. “Wait, what? We were gonna teleport toge- _Nevermind_!” He was talking to an empty loft. The bags of clothes were strewn about everywhere, but that was the only mess _he_ could see. No Reggie. _That little jerk left us!_ Alex rolled his eyes before teleporting out. 

“Luke!”

“There you are!” Luke threw his arms up and lobbed one over Alex’s shoulder, a huge, stupid, golden-retriever grin on his face. _I hope he knows how annoying he is._ “Is Reggie _finally_ done getting ready for this absolutely _monumental_ day in our not-lives?” 

“Yup, he’s gone.” Alex replied, grinning himself at the mock hurt and shocked look on Luke’s face.

“What?!” 

“Yeah, um, apparently he thinks we’re _racing_ to the theater.” Alex laughed. _He knows if he had given us a heads up, he would’ve lost._

“The little _punk!”_ Luke exclaimed, stepping away suddenly. _He better not-_ “Well then, when in Greece!” 

There was a flash and Luke was gone before Alex had a chance to correct his stupidity.

“It’s not- That’s- _Great_.” _Why do I even hang out with these people?_ He pictured the theater Reggie had shown them a thousand times on Carlos’s laptop and quickly followed his best friends. 

He appeared in front of the movie theater. The commercials on the huge screen behind him lit up the numerous levels of seats. There were a few people there already, but it’s not like anyone could _see_ them. He didn’t see Reggie anywhere. 

“REGGIE! Reginald! Reggieeeeeee-” Luke called, bounding up the dark stairs like a hyperactive child. Alex opened his mouth to yell at him to _be more careful_ when a random piece of popcorn _hit_ him right in the face! 

“Boooooooo!! Get out of the way! I’m trying to watch the movie!”

“Willie!” Luke exclaimed, recognizing the voice instantly.

He was seated directly in front of Alex, wearing a cropped sweater and jeans with _pizza_ socks today. There was a huge bucket of popcorn on his lap and an( _adorable_ ) smile on his face.

“You made it!” Alex said excitedly, making his way to him. Luke teleported over to meet them.

“Hey Hot dog! Hey Sleeves,” Willie looked _way_ too proud of the nicknames he had come up with as they bumped arms. Alex rolled his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that morning, and Luke was horrified.

“Dude.” He said, eyebrows furrowed as he pouted. “Why _that_ nickname.”

Alex patted him on the(sleeveless) shoulder. “You’ll get used to it buddy.” Luke shoved him away playfully.

Willie stood and tossed the bucket of “ghost popcorn”(that he had obviously swiped from the Club kitchen) to Luke, who caught it easily. Alex grabbed a handful as Willie continued, smirking. “Yeah, Caleb’s been acting real weird lately. It’s like he doesn't want me around, which is crazy, because _everyone_ wants me around, right?”

“Yeah!” 

“ _Totally_ ,” Luke said sarcastically, waggling his eyebrows at Alex. 

_Oh. It was a joke!_

Alex blushed furiously and was in the middle of glaring at Luke, when suddenly there was a hand in his. Alex felt himself melt and the butterflies erupt in his stomach as they did whenever Willie held his hand. He recovered slightly and triumphantly stuck his tongue out at Luke.

Luke suppressed a laugh and started another round of the theater.

“Whatcha lookin for?” Willie asked, still holding onto Alex.

“An idiot.”

“I see.” Willie said, chuckling. “So where did Reggie get off to?”

Alex laughed. “We don’t really know!”

Willie’s mouth fell open. _Why does he have to be so cute?_ “Holy _smokes_. You guys didn’t play Hide and Seek again, did you?! I wanna play!”

“NO!” Alex almost shouted, shaking his head vigorously. “No no no no nonono…”

Luke snickered from across the theater.“ _You_ know as well as the rest of us _Skater Boy_ that Julie banned that game for the rest of our ghost lives.”

_Skater Boy. Nice one Luke. Real creative._

Not a second later Luke appeared next to him. “Reggie’s not in here.” 

“Maybe he went to the wrong theater?”

“Maybe…” _That’s weird. Why would he poof to the wrong theater? He’s been staring at this place on the website for weeks. We’ve even been here before!_

_It’s Reggie though. Maybe he’s just trying to be funny?_

“We can go check the other ones!” Willie said at his side. “The movie doesn't start for a couple minutes anyway.”

Luke stuffed a handful of popcorn into his mouth before joining them to plan which theaters they would each check. “Alright gang, let's split up and look for frickin Reggie.”

Alex facepalmed. “Dude, did you _really_ just quote Scooby Doo?”

“Maybe?”

Willie was no better, as he immediately started singing the old theme song. Luke wasn’t about to let him sing alone and even added on with an invisible guitar riff.

“You idiots.” Alex groaned “I miss Reggie.”

“What do you mean ‘lex, if Reg wasn’t hopelessly lost in this maze of a theater he would have joined right in.”

_He’s right. There's no escape. I’m eternally surrounded by idiots._

_Good thing it's these idiots._

“You-”

Alex gasped in horror. There was a _purple spark_ on Luke’s chest. Panic flared inside him as one appeared on his too. Willie dropped his hand and Alex braced himself for the intense electric shock he had grown to know so well a few months ago. 

But the pain didn't come. Instead, it felt like he was _vibrating_. Just a weird buzzing sensation under his skin, mainly in his chest and… _cheek_? Luke looked as confused and startled as he felt and brought a hand to his face.

Willie was a completely different story. He was still standing next to him and... _glowing purple_? Like, similar to what Julie had looked like but with _purple_ instead of gold.

“Woah” Willie gasped softly. Luke froze where he stood. Alex’s mouth was hanging open.

“Whaaaaaat was that…”

“I don’t know! Man, that made me so _tired._ ” Luke yawned, and Alex had to agree as his own eyelids drooped in sudden exhaustion. He felt like he could take a nap right then and there, kinda like that one “ _Vine”_ or something Carlos had shown them with the little girl on the beach.

“ _Tired?”_ Willie asked incredulously. He was still glowing, and was hopping from foot to foot. “Bro, I feel like I could skate a marathon. _Two_ marathons!”

_Skate a... marathon? What even- FOCUS! That is not the issue here. The issue is the new-_

It stopped. It had only been a few seconds, but he wasn’t tired anymore. He felt completely _normal_ again. And while Alex and Luke perked up, Willie settled down, looking disappointed.

“Aaaand it’s gone.”

“Freaky.”

Alex stared at Luke. “ _That’s_ all you have to say? _Freaky?!”_

“It’s okay Alex. It just felt like- like a little buzz! Didn’t it? Not even close to… the other ones.” They all knew which _other ones_ he was mentioning, and Alex shuddered. _But he’s right. Nothing really happened._ That didn’t stop the new wave of questions in his mind:

_What even was that?! Why did we both feel it in our faces too and not just our chests and wrists like normal? Why did that affect Willie too? Why was it different for him? Did Reggie feel weak and tired like us? Where is Reggie?!?_

Alex shoved it all away. “I guess…”

Luke nudged his shoulder. “We’ll figure that out later. First, let's find Reg.”

“You’re right. Let’s go.” 

And with that they each teleported to their assigned theaters.

Alex was supposed to check theaters 10-15. While he did witness some interesting movie scenes and commercials, he didn’t find Reggie anywhere. He also got the weird spark thing again. He actually had to sit down to avoid passing out from exhaustion. It didn’t scare him as much as before, it mainly just confused him. _That was only a few minutes after the first one! What the heck is going on?_

“Okay.” Luke started. They had all poofed into the lobby together to regroup. None of them had seen Reggie. “He’s probably at home!”

So they teleported to the studio together. They searched the entire house, calling his name all the while. Alex honestly expected him to jump out from around a corner and scare the crap out of them at any minute, but… it just didn't happen. 

“He’s not here!”

Alex felt his anxiety mounting, backed up by dozens of questions that just _weren’t_ getting answered. He shoved it away. “Where _is_ he?” 

“Hey, it’s fine!” Luke exclaimed, putting a hand on Alex’s shoulder in an effort to nonchalantly reassure him. “Maybe- maybe he realized he didn’t say Hi to Ray this morning and followed him!” 

Alex shot Luke a look, which he expertly avoided. _You know that Reggie already talked to Mr. Molina this morning. You were there!_ They had all been there that morning, sitting beside Julie as she ate breakfast and watching contentedly as Reggie excitedly ranted to Ray about the day to come. Ray, of course, couldn’t hear any of it, but Reggie loved it. The enthusiastic one-sided conversations were now a regular part of their morning routine, and as long as it was making him happy they weren't about to stop him.

Alex kept looking at Luke, knowing exactly what was going on and not liking it. Luke’s hands were shaking ever so slightly, you wouldn't notice if you weren’t looking.

Reggie and Luke thought they were both _experts_ at hiding their feelings, bless their hearts.

Luke doesn't like hurting others. He’d rather pour his emotions into the lyrics, into playing _music_ , instead of bothering others with his troubles. It had taken _years_ to build up the kind of trust it took to get him to just share his feelings with them. Now it was easy for any of them to tell when something was bothering him, all you had to do was be attentive to his body language. 

Luke was worried and was trying to hide it. _That_ definitely did not make Alex feel any better.

“Willie, you check the beach. He loves that place. I can check Carlos’s school and Ray’s work. You go ask Julie if she’s seen him. We’ll meet up back here _when_ we find him. Cool?”

Willie nodded, making his skateboard appear out of nowhere in preparation to find their friend. “Cool.”

“Yeah.” Alex said uncertainty, earning him a concerned look from Willie and nothing from Luke, who he knew could break the second he looked into his eyes. They were going to have to have another talk about suppressing emotions in front of other people.

Alex thought about his task, the one that he had so _graciously_ bestowed upon him. 

Not that he doesn’t like Julie! He _loves_ Julie! Alex could talk to her for _hours_. She was one of his best friends and the _only_ one he trusted to take care of his stupid, reckless friends when he couldn’t. They all enjoyed visiting/annoying her at school, they did it all the time! Luke would usually jump at the chance to see her, but Alex knew why he didn’t want to this time.

It’s because Julie could see right through them(figuratively, _not_ literally). No matter how hard they were trying to hide it, she could always tell when something was wrong and usually(always) she could get them to tell her about it. It was like a superpower of some kind(Reggie calls it her _Jedi Mind Powers_. Alex calls _him_ obsessed). Alex had always said he had a “softer touch”, but it was _nothing_ compared to Julie’s skill in sensing something was off and immediately acting on it. Luke knows he would have broken within seconds of seeing her, and he _really_ doesn't like worrying her. _Well, I don’t want to stress her out either!_

_No. Stop it. All you have to do is poof in, ask Julie if she’s seen him, and poof back. Easy Peasy. 5 minutes tops. No extra questions or explanations needed. You can do this._

Alex appeared at the school, and was suddenly assaulted by the chaos of a high school cafeteria at lunch time. _This is one of the things I definitely do not miss about high school._ The people, the noises, and the realization that it was _way_ later in the day then he had previously thought put him even more on edge. _Hours. Reggie’s been gone for hours now._

He took a deep(unnecessary) breath and made his way over to Julie and Flynn’s usual table. He found them easily, sitting side by side as they poured over what looked like math homework.

“Julie!” 

Julie looked up at him and grinned. She had long gotten over the surprise of them randomly appearing in front of her. It was normal now. She picked up her cell phone off the table, pretended to dial a number, and put the phone to her ear. 

“Hey Alex!”

“Hey Jules! Oh, tell Flynn I say Hi too.” He sat down in the unoccupied seat in front of them.

Julie leaned over and whispered something into Flynn's ear, who then energetically waved... in the wrong direction. _Well, she’s a little confused but she’s got the spirit._ Julie stifled a laugh and turned back, giving him her full attention.

“What’s- Oh.” She winced.

“What?”

“Your hands.” 

Alex glanced down. _Oh. I’m doing it again._ He quickly shoved his hands into the pocket of his hoodie, but it was too late. Julie had already seen.

Alex has said it before. He was always anxious, always more on edge, worried, and awkward than the rest of his friends. Then, they _died._ After the amazing Orpheum performance, they had all spiraled, even with the magical hugs. For Alex, it was _constant_ stress. _Caleb_ could literally be around any corner, waiting to hurt his friends again, not to mention that he still had complete control over Willie’s soul. He couldn’t stop worrying, and pacing and tapping just wasn’t enough for this added anxiety. He started fiddling with his hands, picking at his nails and tearing at his cuticles to keep himself busy. This had only happened before when his parents kicked him out, but it stopped shortly after he moved into Luke’s. Alex tried to ignore it, but it just wasn’t going away this time.

The rest of the band noticed immediately. He didn’t think it was something _they_ needed to worry about, but _nobody_ listens to him and they just _had_ to get all overprotective about it. Julie was actually the one who found a solution after seeing him energetically twirling his drumsticks during a show. They made him start carrying the sticks around ages ago, and it actually _really_ helped. It was calming and familiar. It kept him _grounded_. He taught himself plenty of new tricks(with the help of Reggie’s skills on Carlos’s laptop), and for months he had spun them and flipped them every time he felt himself getting restless or anxious.

But he didn’t have them today. They hadn’t seen Caleb in months. It was finally getting _better_! He didn’t think he would _need_ them!

“I don't have any drumsticks on me right now, we'll have to get the ones from home.” Julie continued, concerned. “So, what’s wrong?”

Alex smiled at her, trying to dispel her worries. “Nothing! I’m fine! I just came to ask if you’ve seen Reggie.”

“Nope, not since- _wait.”_ Her tone was suddenly dangerous and Alex’s eyes widened. “Are you guys playing Hide and Seek _again_?!”

Flynn gasped comically and put her hand over her mouth in shock. “ _The game that shall not be named…”_ She hissed. 

(Yup. Everyone knows about _that_ game. Alex doesn't want to talk about it, all you really need to know is that it involved maple syrup, like 6 feral raccoons, and a bunch of immature ghost teenagers that were _way_ too competitive at Hide and Seek.)

“No!” Alex exclaimed. Julie raised an eyebrow, looking as if she was about to ask Flynn to Google ‘ways to kill a ghost _again_ ’. “I swear we’re not.”

She studied his best _I'm innocent!!_ face for a second more before deducing that he was telling the truth. Her face returned to the usual soft smile. “Okay, _good_. Nope, haven't seen him since I left this morning. Did you guys lose him?” She laughed.

“Umm, kinda?” His voice rose in pitch as he answered uncertainty, like it always did when he got stressed or nervous. _Wonderful. Really hope she didn't hear that._

Julie gave him a _look_.

_She definitely noticed._

“See you in a sec.” She said, standing abruptly. Flynn looked up and they had some sort of silent conversation with only their eyes. Seemingly satisfied, she gave a thumbs up and went back to the homework. Julie then proceeded to grab the sleeve of Alex’s hoodie and legit _drag_ him out of the cafeteria into an empty halfway, her other hand still holding up the phone, ignoring his shouts and whines of protest.

“You didn’t have to do that.” He mumbled once they were alone. Julie put her phone away and crossed her arms.

“Okay Alex, spill. I can tell when something’s bothering you.”

“ _Nothing_ is bothering me!” Alex said defensively, brushing his hair out of his face. “I’m completely UNbothered, i’m-”

 _Not again._ The spark was back for the _third_ time that morning and the uncomfortable buzzing and exhaustion began. Alex was just going to wait it out, but he forgot about _Julie_.

“ _Alex!_ ” She shrieked, grabbing him as if to steady him. As if he was getting _shocked._

_It’s crazy how much these look like the actual flickerings from before._

“It’s okay Julie!” He blurted as the buzzing faded away. He grabbed her hands and looked into her panic-stricken eyes. “It’s okay, _I'm okay._ Everything is fine. It’s not like the other ones, I could barely feel it!” As much as he _despised_ seeing Julie so scared for _his_ life, it was nice to know that someone else was as concerned about it as he was. Julie gripped Alex’s hands and took a couple deep breaths, no doubt trying to erase the sudden flashbacks of them fading after the Orpheum performance. “I’m so sorry it scared you. It scared me too.”

“What. Was. _That_.” She breathed.

“We don’t know really?” 

“ _We?_ As in this is happening to Luke and Reggie too?”

Alex let go of her hands and shoved his into the pocket of his hoodie. “And Willie. We don’t know if anything is happening with Reg.”

Julie crossed her arms again. The stubborn, concerned look was back on her face. The look that meant she was going to get the information she wanted, one way or another. A look few could resist, especially not any of the phantoms, and Alex was always the most vulnerable to it. He stayed strong for about 30 seconds, before relenting. _So much for in and out in 5 minutes._

“So this morning we were getting ready to go to those movies, right? The ones Reggie was _so_ excited about...” 

Alex doesn't know how long he talked in that hallway. Julie was just so _easy_ to talk to, and once he started he couldn’t stop. The worries and questions that had filled his head all morning came spilling out as he rambled on and on, telling her about everything that was happening. By the time his story came to a close he was completely inside his own head, barely breathing as _everything_ overwhelmed him. 

“...and- and now we’re getting these weird _sparks_ and I don’t know why and Reggie’s just up and left and i’m worried about ‘im and there’s just so, _so_ much going on and I… I just… _can’t._ ”

There was a pause. _Silence_. Alex’s hands were tangled in his blond hair, tugging at it to try and relieve the stress. Trying to distract himself from the _questions_ racing through his head.

“Hey…” 

He felt a soft hand on his arm.

“Hey. Look at me. Feel the beat Alex. _Breathe._ ” 

A slow and steady beat was tapped onto the arm of his hoodie, and Alex forced himself to focus on it. It was _Finally Free_. He tried to count it out, imagining he had his drum set right in front of him.

Julie was _there_. She put a hand on both of his arms and slowly moved them away from his hair. She was taking deep, exaggerated breaths, trying to encourage him to do it with her.

“Breathe.” Julie whispered again.

“Pretend to breathe,” he corrected breathlessly.

“Ha ha, you're hilarious,” Alex could hear relief through the sarcasm. “I’m serious, you dork. Count to ten.”

They counted. They breathed. Slowly, Alex was able to escape his own mind. He was able to ground himself and focus on the song Julie was humming. No questions had been answered, but it felt _good_ to say them out loud. He was okay for now. All thanks to her.

“Sorry.”

“You have no reason to be sorry Alex.” She pulled him into a hug. “You okay?”

“I’m better.” He said gratefully. “Thanks.”

“Are you sure? You can keep talking if you need to.”

“I’m good Jules.”

Julie nodded against him. “It’s okay Alex. We’ll find him.”

_We’ll find him. It’ll be okay. One of the others probably found him already, right? Maybe we were all stressed for nothing._

“And… hey,” She frowned, stepping away. It looked like it physically pained her to say this, “if Willie and Luke haven’t found him yet, maybe check his parent’s house.” Alex’s face fell at the suggestion and Julie winced. She had been thinking the same thing he had been _avoiding_ thinking about. “I know. I don’t like it either, and I know that’s the _last_ place you think he’d be, but you never know. He‘s kinda unpredictable.” She said fondly.

“You’re right, he is.” Alex smiled and suddenly felt the familiar, cold, _weird_ sensation of a person passing directly through him. _I’ll never get used to that._ There were people coming into the hallway! Luckily Julie was paying more attention to their surroundings than he was and already had the phone back out.

“Hey Julie!” A blond kid said as he passed them.

“Hey Nick!” Julie called.

Alex knew this kid. He was one of Julie’s friends. He had visited the day after the Orpheum performance, acting really strange. It had _kinda_ freaked them all out, but apparently he was better now. Julie had invited him over a while after _that_ , and he was actually pretty nice! He must have not been feeling well that day or something.

 _You know what, nothing like a joke to lighten up the mood. It always works for Reggie!_ Alex leaned over, a smile tugging at his lips. “He’s pretty cute Jules. Is he single?” He joked, fully aware that she had a crush on him before _Luke_. 

Yeah, Luke has that effect on people. 

Her face flushed just a bit, before laughing and pushing him away. “HA! I’m tellin Willie!”

“You wouldn’t DARE.” Alex gasped, placing a dramatic hand over his heart.

Julie grinned, but then she looked him right in the eyes again. _Darn it._ She knew exactly what he was trying to do. “It’ll be okay Alex. We’ll find him, and we’ll figure out this aftershock thing.” 

“I know.”

“Okay,” _She needs to go._ She has class, and Alex wasn’t about to ask her to skip school like _someone_ he knew. “I’ll see _all_ you boys after school. No exceptions,” Julie practically commanded. Alex smiled at her stubbornness, and felt his hopes lift a little.

“Yes ma’am.” He gave her a little wave and turned around, ready to disappear back to the studio, when he realized something that made him spin back.

“Oh my gosh, I completely forgot to ask how _you_ were doing I just came here with all _my_ problems i’m s-”

“My day’s been fine!” Now Alex gave _her_ a look. That was not a satisfactory answer, and she knew it too. She gave a little smile and admitted. “I have a test for Pre Cal later, but I think I'm ready. Now go you dork!”

Alex grinned at her. “Rad. See you tonight!” And he finally poofed back into the garage.

“I knew it.”

“Knew wha- “ Alex had barely appeared in the studio( _totally_ not fiddling with his hands again), when drumsticks came flying at his head. He caught them easily. “Thanks.”

Luke was sitting bolt upright on his crusty old couch, his feet tapping the ground. _Clearly he didn’t find Reggie._

“So,” Alex plopped down next to him, the sticks already spinning in his hands, and Luke threw an arm over his shoulder, leaning instantly into the touch. He knew they both needed the contact, especially right then. “No luck huh?”

“Nope. He wasn't there.”

“He wasn’t hanging with Julie either.”

Luke turned to him. “And I’m guessing you had another spark too? In front of her?”

“Yup.” Alex sighed. _Are we really calling them “sparks” now?_

“And she made you tell her everything?” Luke gave a crooked smile, knowing the answer. Alex kinda wanted to punch him. Only _kinda_. That had been his plan all along hadn’t it, forcing _him_ to tell her so _he_ didn't have too.

“Yup! You know how she is.”

“I do. I’m glad she knows now.” _I know you are, you little punk. I will get you back for that._

That was the moment where Willie blipped into the room. His skateboard clattered to the ground. After one glance around the garage, he started talking fast, concern bleeding into his tone.

”He wasn’t on the beach. I checked the entire Coast, plus all our usual hangout spots. Maybe... maybe he just needs to be by himself for a while? Did something happen?”

“Not that we know of.” Luke said, taking his arm off Alex's shoulder to wring his hands in his lap. Alex just kept spinning the drumsticks.“The thing is, he doesn't _do_ that. Leaving is definitely something me or Alex would do to clear our heads, but Reggie _comes_ to us when something’s bothering him.”

“Yeah, Reg isn’t the biggest fan of being alone- Great. _”_ There it was again. The freaking spark and the _glowing._ They all waited, annoyed, for the strange new sensations to pass so they could keep talking.

“Why are they so close together? That’s gotta be the fifth one this morning!”

“Fourth,” Alex mumbled.

“This is SO sus,” Willie threw his hands up and started to pace the room. “The sparks give _me_ power-ups, and you- _Ah!”_ Willie cried out suddenly, gripping his arm. 

“Willie!” They exclaimed. Both of them jumped up, but Willie winced, holding up his hand to stop them. He took a deep breath, and Luke collapsed back onto the couch. 

As much as they hated to admit it, this was _normal._ Whenever Caleb wanted Willie back for “work”, he would shock him. Because, you know, he’s just nice like that.

“That- that’s my cue to leave. He must want me back. Catch you guys later.” He turned around and looked them both in the eyes. Alex didn’t think he had ever seen him look so _serious_ , so unlike himself. “I’ll look for him at the club,” he confirmed, “but you have to _promise_ me _you guys_ won’t come.” 

Both Luke and Alex tensed at his last sentence.

“Thanks Skater Boy,” Luke said gratefully, but avoided Willie’s eyes. The lack of any reassurance or promise caused Willie to turn to him. 

Alex looked at Willie, trying to ignore the desperation and fear in his usually playful eyes as the skater grabbed his shoulders. “I’m serious ‘lex. _Please_ , promise me.”

_I can’t._

“Be careful, okay?” was all Alex said. 

Willie looked defeated, and his eyes were pleading even as he gave a quick nod and vanished from the garage. Alex felt _awful_ to leave Willie hanging like that, to make him worry more.

But their _brother_ was missing, and it had Caleb Covington’s name written all over it. They couldn’t promise that they would stay away. In fact, one look at him shared that Luke was ready to barge into the Hollywood Ghost Club that moment to demand Reggie back. _But we don’t know! Maybe he does just need some time alone. Maybe Caleb has absolutely nothing to do with this. Maybe we’re acting like crazy overprotective parents and stressing for no reason! Seriously, who gets this concerned when they haven't seen their friend in only like 4 hours?_

 _We do._ They _were_ more like family than anything, and Alex had a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that something was up. The last time he had felt like this was before eating those street dogs, and _this time_ Alex was going to listen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!! Everything Caleb told Reggie was a lie! Oh, and they can feel when Reggie is getting seriously injured but they have absolutely no clue! Yayy! 
> 
> The next one will be up quickly and continue with Alex’s POV. Thank you for reading! 
> 
> Oh btw, I know everyone kinda experiences anxiety differently, so this is just how I imagine Alex deals with it. If you have any tips or suggestions then I would LOVE to hear them so I can include them!!


	4. What is lost can be found, it’s obvious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a real crazy week y’all. I’ve been off school because it’s been SNOWING every day and electricity is going wack. Literally the only thing I’ve been doing is eating and writing😬
> 
> ANYWAYS this one continues from where we left off(in Alex POV). It really became more of a character study than anything else.
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of past child abuse in this chapter!!

Luke’s calm facade was tossed out the window as soon as Willie disappeared. He jumped up and started pacing the room while Alex quietly spun the sticks as fast as he could. Usually Alex was the most anxious and wired member of Sunset Curve, but when the mental or physical safety of one of them was in jeopardy, Luke could give him a run for his money. He was just so _protective_ over both of them.

It was Luke who finally broke the tense silence. “We need to go… we gotta check...”

“His parents. I know.” Alex finished, glancing at Luke solemnly as he made his way over to him. “Are you ready?”

“No.” Luke admitted. Alex nodded and put an arm around his shoulders. He didn’t want to go either, but they _had_ to check. Luke knew it too.

So it came as no surprise to Alex when Luke was the one who suddenly teleported them both to Reggie’s parent’s _mansion._

  
  
  
They appeared on a long and narrow street, a large brick house looming in front of them. Everything seemed gray and gloomy, as though the sun that had shown so brightly this morning didn’t apply here. This wasn’t anything like Bobby-er- _Trevor’s_ rich-person mansion. This was more like the setting of a horror film, like, once you went into the tall, dusty house, you didn't come out. 

Alex wasn't scared though. He was _furious._

Rage boiled inside of him as his eyes searched the front yard for any sign of the red flannel he _knew_ Reggie had put on that morning. Dead leaves crunched under their feet as they slowly made their way up the driveway. 

“I _hate_ this place.” Luke spat. Alex could only nod. He knew exactly what Luke was thinking, because he was thinking it too.

Alex remembered just a few months ago, when Reggie had again expressed an interest in trying to locate his parents. It only took about 5 minutes with Flynn and Julie’s help to find an address, and soon enough they were standing on this very same street. Reggie, excited at first, slowly grew somber as the realization hit them all: _His parents never got a divorce._ They were still _together._ As they stood there, invisible, they watched as his parents walked out of the house and down the street, laughing and joking all the time. They looked so _happy. Together._

Alex doesn't think Reggie had _ever_ seen them like that.

Reggie, only a minute after arriving, mumbled a short “ _they look fine_ ” and poofed away before either of them could comfort him. Luke had scowled and picked up a stone, focusing his energy on sending it straight through the upstairs window. Alex smiled grimly at the memory. He didn’t usually condone such, um, _illegal_ behavior, but these people _deserved it_. He had grabbed Luke’s arm and teleported them both back home, where they found Reggie joking around with Julie as he fiddled with his bass, ignoring the concerned looks she kept shooting him.

Julie managed to get him to break faster than Luke or Alex ever could(with her _“Jedi Mind Powers”)_ and within minutes they were on the couch, supporting Reggie as he let the fake smile fall and shatter to the ground. He had tried to tell them what he was feeling, how he was _happy_ that his parents were happy but how that proved to him everything they had ever told him, that _he_ was at blame for his parents fighting. Silent tears running down his face, Reggie explained how he _still loved them_ , even though it was constantly made clear that the feeling wasn’t mutual. Julie had a fury in her eyes that he had never seen before as she held Reggie close, but this was nothing new for Luke or Alex.

Reggie’s parents didn’t deserve him. They never had.

An alcoholic and a workaholic(who also has a drinking problem). _Perfect couple_ right? What could _possibly_ go wrong?

Reggie, apparently. Reggie could go wrong. When screaming at each other just wasn’t enough for Mr. and Mrs. Peters, they would immediately round on Reggie. Honestly, the only time Reggie’s parents actually _acknowledged_ his presence was when they were yelling at him. They would criticize his clothes, his grades, his friends, literally anything about their only son who had supposedly _ruined_ their marriage.

By the time they were 12, the fighting escalated. Reggie had been trying to keep it a secret, but Luke and Alex weren’t _that_ stupid. They knew the amount of random cuts and bruises that weren’t normal, even for a really “ _clumsy_ ” person. They didn’t want to pry if Reggie wasn’t ready to talk about it, but they didn’t end up having to. When he showed up _late_ to Luke’s for a sleepover one day, cradling a _broken_ wrist and a bleeding cut over his eye, Reggie finally _broke_. He told them about his parents and the screaming and the cursing. He sobbed apologies as feelings he had held back for _so long_ came tumbling out of him.

 _What a night._ Alex had held and consoled a crying Reggie while physically restraining Luke from jumping out of his bedroom window to murder Reggie’s parents himself. 

After that, Alex couldn’t count the number of times that they had rushed to the beach in the middle of the night, only to find their bruised, bloody, panicked friend pacing in front of his house. The amount of times that Reggie babbled “ _It was my fault, I shouldn’t have gotten in the way, It’s my fault_ ” just sitting there in the sand as Alex and Luke did their best to comfort and heal what his parents had done to him.

How could anyone with even an _ounce_ of humanity direct such anger at a _child_?!

These... _people?_ Alex wasn’t even sure they should be considered that. People were supposed to care, _parents_ were supposed to love their kids! Alex had his fair share of the ignoring and indifference with his “God-fearing” homophobic parents and Luke’s parents never really took the time to understand him, but at least they weren’t _scared_ of their parents! At least they didn’t flinch whenever someone raised their voice or slammed a door. Heck, it had taken Reggie _weeks_ to get to the point where he didn’t tense up whenever he heard Ray’s car pulling into the driveway. _Ray!_ One of the nicest and most non-threatening people he had ever met!

They walked through the door of Reggie’s parents house and started looking. As they made their way around a house they had never been to before, Alex noticed a few things. 

Pictures covered the walls, but there was not a single one of their only son. Maybe they didn't want any painful reminders of him or something, but Alex didn’t really care. Even if they did have photos, it wouldn’t change their actions when he was alive. 

Alex was glad Reggie hadn’t wanted to come in here. It would only hurt him worse.

This was part of the reason Alex didn’t want to find his family. He was 99.9% sure that their house would be the same, peaceful and devoid of all evidence that a _disappointment_ like them had ever existed. 

He tries not to think about it.

Reggie had been through so much at the hands of these horrid people. And yet, he still managed to be one of the kindest and most empathetic people Alex knew. He could always cheer him up. Reggie was actually the first person he told when he realized he was gay.

Alex had been terrified, not sure how any of them would react. _What if they hate me for it? What if they can’t hang out with me anymore?_ He was so deep inside his own head that he was prepared to be kicked out of the band because of it(even though he knew deep down they would _never_ do that). So when the words finally came spilling out of Alex’s mouth _before_ band practice one day, he was floored as the younger boy threw his arms around him, exclaiming that _of course_ they still loved him! _Of course_ they were still friends! Luke and Bobby had walked into practice _on time_ to find them both sitting on the couch, Alex’s eyes twinkling and tears drying as Reggie asked stupid, unanswerable questions they all ended up laughing at. A couple of long group hugs later, and Alex had left band practice feeling a million times lighter.

His parents couldn’t _break_ him. No amount of shouting managed to erase Reggie’s energetic and accepting personality. No screamed insult or slur could silence his goofy remarks for long. 

Not if they had anything to say about it.

Luke and Alex were always there for him, just like he was for them. Whenever he needed a good cry, an escape, or simply _affection_ (Reggie _adores_ physical affection. Alex can see it in the way he melts into every touch, how he clings to them for support and protection. This has extended to Julie now that they could touch her). So that’s why Alex was completely prepared to give him the biggest hug whenever they found him, but every time they turned a corner they were disappointed. 

The mansion was _empty._

After searching the whole house to no avail, Luke threw up his arms in frustration. _His hands are still shaking._ “He’s not here.”

“ _Where is he_?”

“I don’t know, but we need to find him. _Now_.” _I’m glad we’re on the same page._

If this little _trip_ did anything, it worsened their collective anxiety. Being in the place where his parents live now, where so many bad memories were present. So many examples of the times they _hadn’t_ been able to protect their friend. _We’re dead for heaven’s sake! We’re not supposed to worry about things like this, about parents and getting hurt and going missing!_

Yet there they were. Alex had to stop himself from automatically thinking the worst. _Just because he isn’t here doesn't mean he’s been kidnapped!_

~~_Right?_ ~~

  
  
  


He definitely wasn’t on the beach. Or the movie theater. Or Ray’s office. They checked every place they could think of, then they checked again. The Orpheum. Clubs they had been to before, alive or dead. Trevor’s house. They even checked their _graves_ (Yeah, that was the morale booster you’d think it would be). He wasn’t there. 

He wasn’t _anywhere._

Eventually, Alex convinced Luke to retire to the studio. The sun was still up, but the drowsiness from the weird “sparks'' had them leaning against each other as they walked. They seemed to be on some sort of schedule( _like the other ones_ ), occurring, as Alex counted, about 2 hours apart. Still, it was _weird._ Sometimes they would be irregular, happening within minutes of each other and making them as tired as ever. _What is going on?_

At this point the questions in his head ran like a broken record, mainly consisting of the most important one: _Where is Reggie?_ They had searched every place they could think of, except _one._ And they needed to wait for Julie to go there.

  
  
  


When she finally opened the garage door, neither of them knew what to say. Julie stood there in the afternoon sun, her eyes sweeping the entire garage. Her expression dimmed and Alex’s heart broke a little as she searched for someone he _knew_ she wouldn’t see. 

Luke stood. “Julie, we...”

Her cheery backpack hit the ground with a dull _thud_. “C’mere.” She whispered, holding out her arms. The boys hesitated. This is _not_ what they were expecting. Alex got up and took a few steps forward, stammering.

“We- we were waiting for you to-”

“I know.” Julie said softly. “It’s- it’s okay, you don’t have to say it. Just come.”

She _knew._ She had been thinking about it all along, just as they had. She knew exactly where Reggie _could_ be, and where they had to go to get him back. Alex supposed this should have made him feel relieved, but it just made him really _sad._ She had been worrying just as much as them, stuck at school and unable to do anything. 

But she was doing something now. She was letting them _go._

_Again._

So, when she asked them to come this time, Luke and Alex came. Julie wrapped her arms around them, and they stayed.

Alex loved Julie hugs. There he was, squished between two of his best friends, feeling a bit of his anxiety melt away if only for a second. He loved these dorks _so much._

But something was off. They all knew it, they all _felt_ it. There was no bouncy, raven-haired teen that would make some sort of funny comment when the hug was over. Reggie wasn't there, and everything seemed empty and quiet without him. 

“I already made the call and told her we wouldn’t be able to play tonight.” Julie mumbled from the middle of the hug. Alex felt his heart sink. “We’re off the hook.”

“Oh Julie,” _They had forgotten about their gig! What kind of friends were they, bailing on her again!_

Luke stepped away, looking just as he did on the night when they had accidentally ditched the performance at the school dance. His voice was heavy with guilt and sadness. “We completely forgot I'm _so_ sorry, we can still-” 

“No. It doesn't matter.” Julie said firmly, cutting him off. 

“But-”

“Not even the tiniest bit.” She grabbed Luke’s shoulders. “Reggie means _so much more_ than some stupid gig.”

_What did we ever do to deserve Julie Molina?_

Luke responded to that by hugging Julie as tight as he could, burying his face in her shoulder. Alex watched them, smiling slightly. _Reggie’s right. They do ooooooze chemistry._ Any other time he would have teased them about it, but not now. _Not without Reggie._

“Just- be careful, okay? Bring him back.” Julie reached over to take Alex’s trembling hand. “And don’t do anything stupid.”

“We will Jules. I- I mean we won’t?”

Luke gave her a small smile. “We physically cannot. Reggie took all the stupid with him.”

“Nice Captain America reference Luke,” Alex teased, “but I’m pretty sure he didn’t take _all_ of it.”

Julie laughed. Luke pouted at his insult, but his expression softened as they managed to make her smile again ~~for what might be the last time~~ _._

_Stop. Don’t think like that._

When Julie finally let them go, it was too soon. She stepped away from them, worry etched in her face, but she stayed strong nonetheless. She wasn’t crying, but _he_ was pretty close. Luke grabbed his hand, which would have been a _little_ more comforting if he wasn’t shaking too. 

“Are you ready?” Luke whispered to him, knowing the answer. _Totally! We’re only teleporting to the last place we ever wanted to see! We’re only “poofing” into the home of a monster, the only one who can actually hurt us._

_The only one who can separate Julie and the Phantoms._

Alex squeezed Luke’s hand. 

“No.” 

And together they _poofed_ into the belly of the _beast_ : _The Hollywood Ghost Club._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah! This one was kinda slow ngl, but the next one will make up for that. It’ll be up soon with Reggie’s POV again(he’s doing GREAT guys, don’t worry!). Have a great week and thanks for reading!!!


End file.
